Different types of clutter
Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston - Readers' letters
Books
I just finished reading your book, and what a fabulous book it is! I'm an organized person, so I have organized clutter. This has allowed me to organize an awful lot of stuff into very limited space and then hang onto it forever.
I began going through all my old (and dearly beloved) books. Sorting through and pitching out old memories and associations I no longer need has been such a cleansing experience! I was amazed at what I had that I had no idea I had! I am dissociating my identity from these books, and am putting it back where it belongs, which is in what I AM, not in what I HAVE. I give a prayer of gratitude for what each book gave me and release it with love to carry its message to others who will read it.
I'm telling you, my bookshelves literally glow. There is a whole new resonating energy around my books, and I even removed the top shelf which I no longer need, making the height proportional to the space the bookshelves are in. Everything remaining there is by conscious intention, and it shows. I thank you dearly for your teachings and books and inspiration. ~ Beth K., USA
P.S. The next morning after the "book clearing," my female canary, Gaia, laid her first egg and is contentedly sitting on it. Buttercup, her mate, is happily hopping around the cage like the proud papa he is.
Old artwork
I had some big, expensive paintings by well-known artists. They were all abstract art and were mostly paintings of blobs, splatters and basically NOTHING! For years I didn’t understand why the energy in my home wasn’t there. It always seemed so cold and lifeless no matter how I tried to ‘warm up’ the decor.
After reading Karen’s books it dawned on me, my art symbolized NOTHING! They were ‘empty’ looking paintings which didn’t ‘say’ anything. They were just shapes, colors and blobs that happened to match my furniture. It was art just for the sake of having something to hang on the walls. None of it had a real message or said anything! The paintings were pretty colored splashes but like a lot of things in my life at that time, they had no form or direction!
So I SOLD them all! I had them for years, they were in lots of family photos and I was sick of them. I sold them for even more than they cost me. I went out and got all NEW art with birds, flowers, trees and beaches and things that look alive and that represent something. My home instantly had a much warmer and happier feel!
My life also started taking shape. I have more energy, I have better focus and I started getting things done! I also used the extra money from the old art to hire a home decorator. Now my place looks even better! I wanted to do this for years but never had the money. She agreed 100% with selling the old paintings. When she saw the photos she said the paintings overpowered the room and my new art is much more harmonious. It is funny that even she understood my reasons for letting it go!
I am not saying abstract art is bad…but I have to agree with Karen on one thing: If the art no longer inspires you and it doesn’t make you feel good, GET RID OF IT! Selling those blobby old paintings was the best thing I ever did for my home! I had a lot of guilt connected to them because some of them were painted by famous artists, they had been given to me as gifts or I found good deals on them. These are not good reasons to keep something that you no longer like! If not for Feng Shui I might have been clinging onto those old paintings for years. To see my house how it looks now I wondered how I EVER thought it looked good before! The art looked like lava lamps from a 1970′s ‘Love Shack’ and was honestly awful. I stopped liking this style years ago! I am SO happy I made this decision! Thanks, Karen! ~ Anna
Collections
When I was little, I adored horses. I would draw them and I took a few lessons but having a horse of my own was out of my family's reach. I wound up with a lot of horse figurines and model horses, which I still have. About 10 years ago, in my early 30's, I realized my income was my own and I could choose to spend some of my money on riding lessons, which I did. One thing led to another and I bought my first horse a little more than a year ago now. My partner bought a new horse for himself about the same time. I had the model horses because I so wanted a horse of my own, but I have horses now. I don't need to hang onto these models anymore! ~ Tyra, USA
Telephone books and photos
I am in the middle of cleaning and clearing my home. I work at an Art & History Museum and wanted to express myself about the positive side of saving and collecting. We are dependent on people saving photos, paper, clothes, objects, and art to be able to tell the story of the past. I have a near complete collection of telephone books and about half as many city directories. We have photographs of people and places from over 100 years ago. All these items help illustrate and inform us about the past. A phone call to the local historical society before throwing things away may benefit future generations. And, of course, there is always the other side - people with things that are too precious to them to be thrown away when that is exactly what needs to happen to them.
Thanks again for the support in clearing unused, broken, and ugly (to me) clutter from my home. ~ R.M., USA ( where our history is both quite new and ancient)
Books and movies
I have some wonderful books and tapes that I've accumulated and just felt that some things weren't right for the Goodwill - which I have been to 7 times since I started -- and yesterday I had a wonderful thought. My father, before he died last year, stayed at a nursing home that helped him regain his health. Every time I would go by I would bring him things and noticed the moods of the people there. I think we put so much emphasis on new life that we forget how precious older life is.
I called yesterday and asked if books would be nice for the residents. The new director there said, 'Absolutely', and they also have movie night once a week. Well, let me just say that with all the cassettes I have that I can probably sponsor those movie nights until the end of the year.
In addition, last evening I was cleaning my bathroom cupboard of all that unwanted, unused, old products and found a ring that I thought I lost years ago on a plane. I have no idea how it got there! I am proudly typing you this note with it on now.
Thank you again for providing such uplifting, invigorating, encouraging, empowering and non-judgmental information. ~ Debra, USA
Books and CDs
I have found that when I am ready to resell books or CDs it is helpful to gather them together at home and clap around them, holding the intention that I am removing my energy from them. What a used book or music store is willing to buy depends on many things; how well an item will sell, how many they have, etc., but there is also an element of chance and since I started clapping I have been able to resell many more things. Our economy isn't very good right now, but I have been able to sell books and CDs that previously were turned down at these stores, even in better times. Since most of these places offer store credit they still make some money, and I get 'new' books and music at a discount. I love your books and thank you for inspiring this idea. ~ K.W., U.S.A.
Journals
I had been writing journals and diaries for over 20 years. I had 6 banana boxes full of ‘my life’. These notebooks were very much tied up with who I thought I was. I would dip into them to read and cringe or marvel at parts of my life and worry about what would happen to them when I die: How could I protect people I love from reading them? Were they valuable? Should they be archived? They took up a lot of energy and drew me back into the past in a sticky way.
Over the last two years, with the help of your very cool book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, I’ve been consigning notebook after notebook to the fire. It’s been challenging and incredibly satisfying. A couple of months ago I realised I could clear the remaining 15 notebooks without reading or skimming…and now they’re gone! I’ve let go of a huge weight of the past (6 big boxes worth) and a heavy sense of misplaced responsibility.
I’m still amazed at how spacious, light and free I feel. Thanks for your books and the work you do, it’s a lively and wonderful contribution to our world. ~ Sue, Wellington, New Zealand
